Deep Brain Stimulation for Parkinson’s disease
Our previous look at Parkinson’s disease revealed many insights on the statistics of the disease, as well as possible treatments.
One of the treatments available for Parkinson’s disease is Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). NorthShore University HealthSystem’s live chat on DBS helped those who might be eligible for the process.
What is DBS?
Dr. Arif Dalvi (NorthShore):
DBS involves placing an electrode in the brain to deliver continuous high-frequency electrical stimulation to various parts of the brain that control movement. This stimulation is thought to suppress overactivity in areas of the brain that are affected by PD. The lay press calls it “a pacemaker for the brain” which is a useful description. Just like a pacemaker for the heart controls abnormal electrical activity in the heart, the DBS controls abnormal electrical activity in the brain. For example, when we map the brain to put in the DBS electrodes we may hear tremor cells firing in the brain. Once the DBS is turned on the firing of these tremor cells can be suppressed.
Are there any factors that preclude a patient from this procedure?
Dr. Arif Dalvi (NorthShore):
When we offer patients DBS surgery we put them through a detailed screening process. A formal neuropsychological evaluation is performed in more cases to screen for significant dementia or depression. These may preclude surgery or require prior treatment before surgery is offered. Response to levodopa (even if not adequate) is important as we need to exclude atypical forms of Parkinsonism that do not respond well to DBS surgery. Age is not a contraindication in itself, and we have some patients who underwent DBS in their 80s. Most of our patients with DBS are younger than 75 as older patients tend to be less responsive.
Visit NorthShore’s live chat page for a full transcript.
